Method for determining a dangerous driving indicator of a vehicle

ABSTRACT

The present invention consists in determining at least one dangerous driving indicator (IND) by means of a physical model (MOD) based on the dynamics of the vehicle. According to the invention, the dynamic model (MOD) of the vehicle makes it possible to determine a slip parameter (β, SR) of the vehicle, which is used to deduce a representative dangerous driving indicator (IND).

The present invention relates to the field of vehicles, more particularly the field of driving vehicles in order to limit dangerous driving situations.

Drivers and public authorities have always wished to reduce the number of accidents and therefore risky driving.

Moreover, automobile insurance companies have always sought to assess the loss expectancy of their policyholders, i.e. the probability of having an accident. Knowledge of this loss expectancy may enable insurers to adapt their services to each driver. This was historically assessed on purely statistical criteria, such as the age group or the type of vehicle driven.

Today, the emergence of connected vehicles and objects makes it possible to characterize dangerous driving from measurements. Indeed, a stand-alone box, a smartphone, a connection to the vehicle's on-board network, etc. are sufficient for having the position, and therefore the speed and acceleration of the vehicle available. In this context, new methods of assessing loss expectancy are possible.

The most common assessment method consists in setting thresholds on the maximum value of the vehicle's acceleration. For example, patent application EP 1960829 describes one such method based on the vehicle's acceleration. However, this type of method, based solely on the speed or acceleration of the vehicle, is not always representative of dangerous driving. Indeed, a variation in speed or acceleration may be dependent on many external parameters, such as weather conditions, road traffic, the routes taken, etc. without reflecting dangerous driving.

On the academic side, modeling the dynamics of the vehicle is a well-known subject and there are numerous publications. The following works illustrate such modeling:

Kiencke U., & Nielsen L. Automotive Control Systems. For Engine, Driveline, and Vehicle, Springer, 2000.

Rajamani, R., Vehicle Control and Dynamics, Springer Science and Business Media, 2011.

But, while these approaches to modeling are very representative of the dynamics of the vehicle, they are not suitable for use in characterizing dangerous driving. Indeed, they require too many parameters describing the vehicle and especially too many measurements. They are therefore suitable only for research work in which vehicles are heavily instrumented but are unsuitable for mass production vehicles on which the sensor technical definition is reduced to the minimum.

The present invention consists in determining at least one dangerous driving indicator by means of a simple physical model based on the dynamics of the vehicle. According to the invention, the dynamic model of the vehicle makes it possible to determine a slip parameter of the vehicle, which is used to deduce a representative dangerous driving indicator. One of the objectives of the method according to the invention is to obtain a more representative and more robust method than the heuristic approaches based simply on acceleration thresholds.

The Method According to the Invention

The invention relates to a method for determining a dangerous driving indicator of a vehicle. The following steps are performed for this method:

-   -   a) the position and/or the altitude of said vehicle is/are         measured;     -   b) a dynamic model of the vehicle is constructed that links the         position and/or the altitude of said vehicle to at least one         slip parameter of the vehicle;     -   c) at least one slip parameter of the vehicle is determined by         means of said dynamic model and said measured position and/or         altitude; and     -   d) at least one dangerous driving indicator of the vehicle is         determined by means of said slip parameter.

According to the invention, the position and/or the altitude of said vehicle is/are measured by means of a geolocation system.

In accordance with one implementation of embodiment of the invention, prior to the step of determining a slip parameter, preprocessing of said position and/or altitude measurements is performed, notably by means of oversampling and/or filtering.

Advantageously, said dynamic model of the vehicle is a model in which the width of the vehicle is disregarded.

According to one embodiment, said at least slip parameter of the vehicle is the lateral slip angle β of the vehicle and/or the longitudinal slip rate SR of the vehicle.

Preferably, said dynamic model of the vehicle determines said lateral slip angle β by a formula of the type:

${\beta (i)} = \frac{{v_{fy}(i)} + {v_{ry}(i)}}{2*{v_{L}(i)}}$

-   -   with:

i: the instant of calculation,

v_(fy): the projection on the y axis of the speed of the front wheel,

v_(ry): the projection on they axis of the speed of the rear wheel, and

v_(L): the projection on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle of the speed of the vehicle, the projections of said speeds being a function of said position of the vehicle.

Advantageously, said projections of the speeds of said dynamic model are determined by relationships of the type:

$\left. {{{v_{ry}(i)} = {{v_{T}(i)} - {l_{r}*{\omega (i)}}}},{{v_{fy}(i)} = {{\left( {{v_{T}(i)} + {l_{f}*{\omega (i)}}} \right)*\cos \; {\alpha (i)}} - {{v_{L}(i)}*\sin \; {\alpha (i)}}}},{{\alpha (i)} = {\tan^{- 1}\left( \frac{{\omega (i)}*\left( {l_{r} + l_{f}} \right)}{v_{L}(i)} \right)}},{{v_{L}(i)} = {{{v_{x}(i)}*\cos \; {\psi (i)}} + {{v_{y}(i)}*\sin \; {\psi (i)}}}},{{v_{T}(i)} = {{{- {v_{x}(i)}}*\sin \; {\psi (i)}} + {{v_{y}(i)}*\cos \; {\psi (i)}}}},{{v_{x}(i)} = \frac{{x_{GPS}(i)} - {x_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}}{T_{e}}},{{v_{y}(i)} = \frac{{y_{GPS}(i)} - {y_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}}{T_{e}}},{{\omega (i)} = \frac{{\psi (i)} - {\psi \left( {i - 1} \right)}}{T_{e}}}} \right),{{\psi (i)} = {\frac{180}{\pi}*{\tan^{- 1}\left( \frac{{x_{GPS}(i)} - {x_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}}{{y_{GPS}(i)} - {y_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}} \right)}}},$

with

x_(GPS),y_(GPS): the coordinates of the vehicle in the Lambert coordinate system, corresponding to the measured position of the vehicle,

i: the instant of calculation,

T_(e): the sampling period,

I_(f): the distance between the center of gravity and the front wheels of the vehicle, and

I_(r): the distance between the center of gravity and the rear wheels of the vehicle.

According to one feature of the invention, said dynamic model determines the slip rate SR of the vehicle by means of a mapping function for mapping the coefficient of adhesion μ of the vehicle and weather conditions.

In accordance with a variant embodiment, said coefficient of adhesion μ of the vehicle is determined by a formula of the type:

${\mu (i)} = \frac{F_{driving}(i)}{F_{z}(i)}$ with: ${{F_{res}(v)} = {C_{RR} + {k*v} + {\frac{1}{2}*\rho_{air}*S*C_{x}*v^{2}}}},{{F_{driving}(i)} = {{M_{vehicle}*{a_{veh}(i)}} + {M_{vehicle}*g*{\sin \left( {\theta (i)} \right)}} + {F_{res}\left( {v(i)} \right)}}},{{F_{z}(i)} = {M_{vehicle}*g*{\cos \left( {\theta (i)} \right)}}},{{\theta (i)} = {\tan^{- 1}({Slope})}},{{{Slope}(i)} = \frac{\Delta \; {h(i)}}{\Delta \; {d(i)}}},{{\Delta \; {h(i)}} = {{{alt}_{GPS}(i)} - {{alt}_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}}},{{\Delta \; {d(i)}} = \sqrt{\left\lbrack {{x_{GPS}(i)} - {x_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}} \right\rbrack^{2} + \left\lbrack {{y_{GPS}(i)} - {y_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}} \right\rbrack^{2}}},$

with

x_(GPS),y_(GPS): the coordinates of the vehicle in the Lambert coordinate system, corresponding to the measured position of the vehicle,

alt_(GPS): the measured altitude of the vehicle,

i: the instant of calculation,

a_(veh): the acceleration of the vehicle,

M_(vehicle) the mass of the vehicle,

ρ_(air): the density of the air,

S: the front surface area of the vehicle,

C_(x): the front aerodynamic drag coefficient of the vehicle,

k: the coefficient of viscous friction,

C_(RR) the rolling resistance coefficient of the vehicle, and

g: the acceleration of gravity.

According to one implementation of the invention, said dangerous driving indicator is determined by determining the number of times and/or frequency of exceeding at least one threshold by said slip parameter.

According to one embodiment, said at least one dangerous driving indicator is displayed and/or recorded while the vehicle is being driven.

Advantageously, said at least one dangerous driving indicator is displayed and/or recorded on the dashboard of said vehicle, on an Internet site, or on a standalone portable device such as a geolocation system or a mobile phone.

Preferably, said dynamic model of the vehicle takes into account at least one of the following conditions: the state of the highway, the weather conditions, the pressure and state of wear of the vehicle's tires, notably by means of mapping.

The invention also relates to a method for controlling a vehicle. The following steps are performed for this method:

-   -   a) at least one dangerous driving indicator is determined         according to one of the preceding features; and     -   b) the control of said vehicle is adapted according to said         dangerous driving indicator.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a computer program product downloadable from a communication network and/or recorded on a computer-readable medium and/or executable by a processor or a server, including program code instructions for implementing the method according to one of the preceding features, when said program is executed on a computer or on a mobile phone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other features and advantages of the method according to the invention will appear on reading the description below of non-restrictive embodiments, referring to the appended figures and described below.

FIG. 1 illustrates the steps of the method for determining a dangerous driving indicator according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the steps of the method for determining a dangerous driving indicator according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a geometric parameterization of the vehicle for a dynamic model.

FIG. 4 illustrates a mapping of the longitudinal slip rate of the vehicle as a function of the coefficient of adhesion and weather conditions.

FIGS. 5a through 5d respectively represent curves for the speed, gear ratio, engine speed and position of the accelerator pedal as a function of time, for which tests are performed.

FIG. 6 illustrates curves for the estimated longitudinal slip ratio and the measured slip ratio as a function of time, for the tests according to FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates the curves for the longitudinal slip rate of the vehicle as a function of the coefficient of time and gradient.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for determining at least one dangerous driving indicator of a vehicle. Driving is characterized as dangerous, if it might present a risk of accident, regardless of the cause of this risky behavior. The dangerous driving indicator makes it possible to quantify this dangerousness. According to the invention, the dangerous driving indicator is determined on the basis of the adhesion limit conditions of the vehicle, i.e. when the vehicle slips. Indeed, in these conditions, the loss expectancy increases. This indicator may be used by the driver to improve their driving and make it safer, or by a controller which can automatically adapt the control of the vehicle, or by a vehicle insurance or rental/sharing organization in order to have information on their customers driving.

NOTATIONS

The following notations are used in the rest of the description:

(x_(GPS), y_(GPS)) Coordinates measured by geolocation in the Lambert coordinate system [m] alt_(GPS) Altitude measured by geolocation [m] G Center of gravity of the vehicle [—] l_(r) Distance between the center of gravity and the rear wheel axle [m] l_(f) Distance between the center of gravity and the front wheel axle [m] α Turning angle of the front wheels [rad] ψ Yaw angle [rad] θ Road gradient angle [rad] β_(f) Lateral slip angle of the rear wheel [rad] β_(r) Lateral slip angle of the front wheel [rad] β Lateral slip angle [rad] ω Angular speed of the vehicle [rad/s] Te Sampling period [s] μ Coefficient of adhesion [—] SR Longitudinal slip rate [—] ν Speed of the vehicle [rad/s] ν_(x) Speed of the vehicle projected on the x axis [m/s] ν_(y) Speed of the vehicle projected on the y axis [m/s] ν_(T) Lateral speed of the vehicle [rad/s] ν_(L) Longitudinal speed of the vehicle [rad/s] F_(driving) Tractive effort of the vehicle at the wheel [N] F_(res) Resultant of the efforts of friction undergone by the vehicle [N] F_(Z) Normal effort undergone by the vehicle (gravity) [N] M_(vehicle) Mass of the vehicle [kg] g Acceleration of gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s²) [m/s²] SLOPE Instantaneous gradient [—] F_(driving) Tractive force at the level of the ground-wheel contact [N] F_(res) Resultant of the forces of friction on the vehicle [N] F_(Z) Force of gravity of the vehicle [N] a_(veh) Instantaneous acceleration of the vehicle [m/s²] i Time increment of the calculations (i-1 corresponds to the preceding time) [s]

For these notations, the index r refers to the rear wheel, and the index f refers to the front wheel. The projections on the x and y axes of the Lambert coordinate system are denoted by the indices x and y.

The method according to the invention includes the following steps (the preprocessing step being optional):

1) Measuring position and/or altitude

2) Preprocessing the measurements

3) Constructing the dynamic model of the vehicle

4) Determining a slip parameter

5) Determining a dangerous driving indicator

These steps may be performed in real time, during the movement of the vehicle.

FIG. 1 illustrates, non-restrictively, the method according to one embodiment of the invention. From measured data (x_(GPS),y_(GPS),alt_(GPS)) a dynamic model of the vehicle MOD determines at least one slip parameter of the vehicle. In the case of FIG. 1, the dynamic model MOD determines two slip parameters (β, SR). The slip parameters make it possible to determine an indicator IND by means of a step of determining a dangerous driving indicator (DET IND).

FIG. 2 illustrates, non-restrictively, the method according to one alternative embodiment of the method illustrated in FIG. 1. The embodiment in the figure differs from that in FIG. 1 by a preliminary step of preprocessing PRE the measurements (x_(GPS), y_(GPS), alt_(GPS)).

1) Measuring Position and/or Altitude

This step involves determining the position and/or the altitude of the vehicle. Preferably, position and altitude are measured, in order to obtain a plurality of slip parameters, which makes it possible to determine a reliable dangerous driving indicator. However, in order to simplify the method according to the invention, only the position, or only the altitude of the vehicle may be measured.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the (position and/or altitude) measurements are performed by means of a geolocation system, such as a satellite positioning system, such as the GPS (Global Positioning System) system, the Galileo system, etc. The geolocation system may, advantageously, be included in a mobile phone, of the smartphone type.

Taking into account the altitude notably allows a better estimate of slip, which makes it possible to obtain a more reliable dangerous driving indicator.

Advantageously, the position of the vehicle corresponds to the coordinates of the vehicle expressed in the Lambert coordinate system, which is a universal coordinate system: it is the official projection used for maps.

2) Preprocessing the Measurements

This step is optional, it is performed before determining at least one slip parameter (see FIG. 2). This step may be performed before or after the step of constructing the dynamic model.

The available (position and/or altitude) measurements for characterizing driving may come from a connected box, a smart phone, etc. Accordingly, their quality is variable and sometimes capable of improvement and it is preferable to ensure preprocessing before using them, in order to obtain a reliable indicator. This preprocessing may be variable, since it is dependent on the quality of the input data. In the most common case, preprocessing the measurements may consist in oversampling measurements, then filtering (e.g. by means of a low-pass filter). Alternatively, the preprocessing step may consist only in oversampling, or only in filtering.

3) Constructing the Dynamic Model of the Vehicle

A dynamic model of the vehicle is a model that links at least one slip parameter (the vehicle's tires) to the position and/or the altitude of the vehicle. The model takes into account the dynamics of the vehicle (speed, acceleration, etc.) for determining the slip of the vehicle, i.e. an unwanted and uncontrolled movement of the vehicle.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the dynamic model of the vehicle takes into account at least one, preferably all, of the following conditions: the state of the highway, the weather conditions, the pressure and state of wear of the vehicle's tires, notably by means of mapping. This mapping may notably link the slip parameter to the coefficient of adhesion of the tires. Thus, the dangerous driving indicator is made more representative of dangerousness.

A slip parameter of the vehicle's tires may be the lateral slip angle of the vehicle, denoted by β. The lateral slip angle corresponds to the angle formed between the speed vector of the vehicle and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

Another slip parameter of the vehicle's tires may be the longitudinal slip rate, denoted by SR. The longitudinal slip rate reflects the slip of the wheel's tire with respect to the ground. This slip rate notably depends on the coefficient of adhesion of the tire on the ground.

According to one embodiment, it is assumed that the wheels remain in contact with flat ground. In addition, it is assumed that suspensions are rigid, which amounts to disregarding roll and pitch. Furthermore, the vehicle may be modeled by a “bicycle” type model. This amounts to considering that the width of the vehicle is negligible, and accordingly that the left and right wheels have a similar behavior.

FIG. 3 schematically depicts the “bicycle” model, and the angles used for this embodiment. In this figure, only the wheels are represented. G represents the center of inertia of the vehicle. I_(f) and I_(r) respectively represent the distance between the center of gravity G and the front and rear axles. The reference system is defined by the (x,y) coordinate which corresponds to the Lambert coordinate system. v is the speed of the vehicle. v_(f) and v_(r) are respectively the speed of the front and rear wheel. β is the lateral slip angle. β_(f) and β_(r) (not represented) correspond to the lateral slip angles of the front and rear wheels, respectively. ψ is the yaw angle. v_(L) and v_(T) are the projections of the speed of the vehicle in the coordinate system associated with the vehicle chassis.

According to one variant embodiment of the invention, the position is measured and the slip parameter determined by the dynamic model is the lateral slip angle β. In this variant, the lateral slip angle β may be determined by a formula of the type:

${\beta (i)} = \frac{{v_{fy}(i)} + {v_{ry}(i)}}{2*{v_{L}(i)}}$

-   -   with:

i: the instant of calculation,

v_(fy): the projection on they axis of the speed of the front wheel,

v_(ry): the projection on they axis of the speed of the rear wheel, and

v_(L): the projection on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle of the speed of the vehicle, the projections of the speeds being a function of said position of the vehicle.

For this estimate of the lateral slip angle β, the following steps may be performed:

a) Calculation of the Turning Angle of the Front Wheels α

In this section, the calculation of the turning angle of the front wheels α is described in detail.

The calculation of the yaw angle, from the (position) coordinates, may be obtained from the following equation:

${\psi (i)} = {\frac{180}{\pi}*{\tan^{- 1}\left( \frac{{x_{GPS}(i)} - {x_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}}{{y_{GPS}(i)} - {y_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}} \right)}}$

The angular speed of the vehicle may be given by a formula of the type:

${\omega (i)} = \frac{{\psi (i)} - {\psi \left( {i - 1} \right)}}{T_{e}}$

The projections v_(x) and v_(y) of the speed v of the vehicle in the (x,y) reference frame may be given by:

${v_{x}(i)} = \frac{{x_{GPS}(i)} - {x_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}}{T_{e}}$ ${v_{y}(i)} = \frac{{y_{GPS}(i)} - {y_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}}{T_{e}}$

The projections v_(L) and v_(T) of the speed v in the reference frame of the vehicle chassis may be given by:

v _(L)(i)=v _(x)(i)*cos ψ(i)+v _(y)(i)*sin ψ(i)

v _(T)(i)=−v _(x)(i)*sin ψ(i)+v _(y)(i)*cos ψ(i)

The steering angle may then be calculated:

${\alpha (i)} = {\tan^{- 1}\left( \frac{{\omega (i)}*\left( {l_{r} + l_{f}} \right)}{v_{L}(i)} \right)}$

b) Calculation of the Slip Angle β

In this section, the calculation of the lateral slip angle β is described in detail. The chosen method consists in taking the average lateral slip angle of the front and rear wheels.

To do this, the projections v_(fy) and v_(ry) on the y axis of the speeds of the front and rear wheels v_(f) and v_(r) respectively are calculated:

v _(fy)(i)=(v _(T)(i)+l _(f)*ω(i))*cos α(i)−v _(L)(i)*sin α(i)

v _(ry)(i)=v _(T)(i)−l _(r)*ω(i)

β is deduced by an equation of the form:

${\beta (i)} = {\frac{{\beta_{f}(i)} + {\beta_{r}(i)}}{2} = \frac{{v_{fy}(i)} + {v_{ry}(i)}}{2*{v_{L}(i)}}}$

Thus, by combining the equations, a dynamic model of the vehicle is obtained that links the lateral slip angle β to the position of the vehicle.

According to a variant embodiment (which may be combined with the variant previously described), the position and altitude of the vehicle are measured, and the slip parameter determined by the dynamic model is the longitudinal slip rate SR. For this variant embodiment, the longitudinal slip rate SR may be determined by means of a mapping function for mapping the coefficient of adhesion μ of the vehicle and weather conditions (state of the road).

FIG. 4 is an example of mapping representing a plurality of curves of the coefficient of adhesion μ as a function of the longitudinal slip rate SR for a plurality of weather conditions: D for dry road, W for wet road, S for snowy road, and I for icy road. The weather conditions may be specified by the user, or may be known through the geolocation system, notably via Internet connection. Alternatively, the weather conditions may be known through sensors present on the vehicle.

For estimating the coefficient of adhesion μ the following steps may be implemented:

a) Calculation of the Gradient Angle θ

In this section, the calculation of the gradient angle θ is described in detail.

The distance traveled at each instant is given by:

${\Delta \; {d(i)}} = \sqrt{\left\lbrack {{x_{GPS}(i)} - {x_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}} \right\rbrack^{2} + \left\lbrack {{y_{GPS}(i)} - {y_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}} \right\rbrack^{2}}$

The variation in altitude may be calculated simply via the altitude resulting from the measurements:

Δh(i)=alt_(GPS)(i)−alt_(GPS)(i−1)

Accordingly, the instantaneous gradient may be obtained by:

${{Slope}(i)} = \frac{\Delta \; {h(i)}}{\Delta \; {d(i)}}$

According to a particular design of the invention, at this stage a running average filter may be applied on the gradient for capturing only the significant variations and limiting the noise impact.

The gradient angle may be estimated by an equation of the form:

θ(i)=tan⁻¹(Slope)

b) Calculation of the Coefficient of Adhesion μ

For calculating the coefficient of adhesion μ, the tractive force at the level of the ground-wheel contact F_(driving) and the normal force of gravity F_(z) are calculated.

F _(z)(i)=M _(vehicle) *g*cos(θ(i))

F _(driving)(i)=M _(vehicle) *a _(veh)(i)+M _(vehicle) *g*sin(θ(i))+F _(res)(v(i))

With a_(veh) the instantaneous acceleration of the vehicle, and F_(res) the resultant of the forces of friction that apply on the vehicle, this resultant being given by the following relationship called a “road law”. This term is expressed directly as a function of the speed and characteristics of the vehicle

F _(res)(v)=C _(RR) +k*V+½*ρ_(air) *S*C _(x) *v ²

The instantaneous acceleration of the vehicle a_(veh) may be obtained (according to the available sensors) from an accelerometer and/or from the vehicle speed estimated from the measured position. According to one example, it may be estimated from an equation of the form:

$a_{veh} = \frac{{v(i)} - {v\left( {i - 1} \right)}}{T_{e}}$

The coefficient of adhesion p may be deduced by an equation of the type:

${\mu (i)} = \frac{F_{driving}(i)}{F_{z}(i)}$

Thus, by combining the equations, a dynamic model of the vehicle is obtained that links the coefficient of adhesion to the position and to the altitude of the vehicle, then the longitudinal slip rate SR is deduced by means of a mapping.

The method according to the invention is not limited to the model described below, other models may be implemented, notably models taking into account the width of the vehicle.

4) Determining a Slip Parameter

In this step, at least one slip parameter of the vehicle is determined by means of the dynamic model constructed in the preceding step and by means of measurements (whether or not preprocessed) previously performed.

According to one embodiment of the invention, in this step, two slip parameters are determined: the lateral slip angle β and the longitudinal slip rate SR (see FIGS. 1 and 2). This determination of the two slip parameters may be performed on the basis of position and altitude measurements.

From the determined lateral slip angle β, the slip of the tires is estimated by a mapping dependent on two parameters: the coefficient of adhesion μ and the determined slip angle β. This mapping may depend on the state of the highway, in particular it is very different if the road is dry or wet (which may be judged from the weather forecast), and the state of the tires: their pressure and their wear.

According to one alternative, in this step, a single slip parameter is determined: the lateral slip angle β. This determination may be performed on the basis of position measurements.

Alternatively, in this step, a single slip parameter is determined: the longitudinal slip rate SR. This determination may be performed on the basis of altitude measurements, or on the basis of position and altitude measurements.

5) Determining a Dangerous Driving Indicator

This involves determining at least one dangerous driving indicator from the slip parameter or parameters determined in the preceding step. The dangerous driving indicator may take the form of a value, a grade, etc.

In accordance with one variant embodiment of the invention, the dangerous driving indicator may be determined by implementing the following steps:

-   -   at least one dangerous driving threshold (at least one threshold         per parameter) is chosen for the slip parameter(s) or their         derivatives;     -   it is determined whether the slip parameter(s) or their         derivatives exceed the chosen threshold;     -   the number of times and/or the frequency (time or mileage) are         quantified for which the slip parameter(s) or their derivatives         have exceeded the chosen threshold; and     -   a dangerous driving indicator is deduced from the number and/or         the frequency.

Indeed, comparing the slip parameters (or their derivatives) with thresholds makes it possible to determine whether the driver is often found in adhesion limit conditions, for which loss expectancy increases.

The indicator may consist of the number of times or frequency of exceeding the threshold. Alternatively the indicator may be an average value or a grade (e.g. out of 10) representative of the different numbers and/or frequencies calculated for each slip parameter.

Once the dangerous driving indicators have been determined, this information may be recorded and/or transmitted to the driver (or to any other person) by means of a display. This recording and/or display may be performed on board the vehicle: on the dashboard, on a standalone portable device, such as a geolocation device (of the GPS type), or a mobile phone (of the smartphone type). It is also possible to record and display this indicator on an Internet site, that the driver may consult subsequently to their driving. In addition, this or these dangerous driving indicator(s) may be shared with an insurance, car-sharing, car rental organization, a vehicle fleet manager, etc. so as to indicate whether or not their client's driving is dangerous, so that they may adapt their services: insurance costs, rental charges, etc.

The present invention also relates to a method for controlling a vehicle, in which the following steps are performed:

-   -   at least one dangerous driving indicator is determined by means         of the previously described method; and     -   the control of the vehicle is adapted according to the dangerous         driving indicator: this adaptation may be performed directly by         the driver who becomes aware of the dangerousness of their         driving, or may be performed by a controller of the vehicle that         limits dangerous situations.

The method according to the invention may be used for motor vehicles. However, it may be used in the field of road transport, the field of two-wheeled vehicles, the railroad field, the naval field, the aeronautics field, the hovercraft field, and the field of amphibious vehicles, etc.

The invention further relates to a computer program product downloadable from a communication network and/or recorded on a computer-readable medium and/or executable by a processor or a server. This program includes program code instructions for implementing the method as described above, when the program is executed on a computer or a mobile phone.

Illustrative Examples

The objective of these examples is to compare the actual measured slip with the estimate performed following the previously described method.

The tests consist of three “Wide Open Throttle” accelerations in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear, as illustrated in FIGS. 5a through 5d , which respectively represent the speed of the vehicle v_(vh), the gear ratio RBV, the engine speed N_(e), and the position of the accelerator pedal P_(acc). In these tests, the acceleration of the vehicle is at the maximum since the combustion engine is used at its maximum torque. Accordingly, a longitudinal slip is inevitable.

The results of the estimate EST according to the method according to the invention, and of the measurements MES of the longitudinal slip SR are given in FIG. 6. It can be seen that in spite of the very small number of measurements used for estimating (only the position and altitude derived from a geolocation system), the phases where slip occurs can be identified. In addition, the slip amplitude also succeeds in being estimated which is most logically more important on the first gears.

One of the added values of the present invention is that it takes into account the gradient in the slip estimate. FIG. 8 depicts the impact of the gradient P on the longitudinal slip rate SR. This still involves the same test case (FIGS. 5a through 5d ) and the effect of the gradient is obtained in simulation. For these tests, the gradient P is varied from −10% to +10% passing through 0%. A significant impact of the gradient is seen on the slip estimate. Accordingly, taking it into account is very advantageous. Otherwise, the characterization of dangerous driving is distorted when the road has a significant gradient. 

1. A method of determining at least one dangerous driving indicator of a vehicle, wherein the following steps are performed: a) the position and/or the altitude of the vehicle is/are measured; b) a dynamic model of the vehicle is constructed that links the position and/or the altitude of the vehicle to at least one slip parameter of the vehicle; c) at least one slip parameter of the vehicle is determined by means of the dynamic model and the measured position and/or altitude; and d) at least one dangerous driving indicator of the vehicle is determined by means of the slip parameter.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the position and/or the altitude of the vehicle is/are measured by means of a geolocation system.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which prior to the step of determining a slip parameter, preprocessing of the position and/or altitude measurements is performed, notably by means of oversampling and/or filtering.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the dynamic model of the vehicle is a model in which the width of the vehicle is disregarded.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least slip parameter of the vehicle is the lateral slip angle β of the vehicle and/or the longitudinal slip rate SR of the vehicle.
 6. The method as claimed in claim 5, in which the dynamic model of the vehicle determines the lateral slip angle β by a formula of the type: ${\beta (i)} = \frac{{v_{fy}(i)} + {v_{ry}(i)}}{2*{v_{L}(i)}}$ with: i: is the instant of calculation, v_(fy): the projection on the y axis of the speed of the front wheel, v_(ry): the projection on the y axis of the speed of the rear wheel, and v_(L): the projection on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle of the speed of the vehicle, the projections of the speeds being a function of the position of the vehicle.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 6, in which the projections of the speeds of the dynamic model are determined by relationships of the type: $\left. {{{v_{ry}(i)} = {{v_{T}(i)} - {l_{r}*{\omega (i)}}}},{{v_{fy}(i)} = {{\left( {{v_{T}(i)} + {l_{f}*{\omega (i)}}} \right)*\cos \; {\alpha (i)}} - {{v_{L}(i)}*\sin \; {\alpha (i)}}}},{{\alpha (i)} = {\tan^{- 1}\left( \frac{{\omega (i)}*\left( {l_{r} + l_{f}} \right)}{v_{L}(i)} \right)}},{{v_{L}(i)} = {{{v_{x}(i)}*\cos \; {\psi (i)}} + {{v_{y}(i)}*\sin \; {\psi (i)}}}},{{v_{T}(i)} = {{{- {v_{x}(i)}}*\sin \; {\psi (i)}} + {{v_{y}(i)}*\cos \; {\psi (i)}}}},{{v_{x}(i)} = \frac{{x_{GPS}(i)} - {x_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}}{T_{e}}},{{v_{y}(i)} = \frac{{y_{GPS}(i)} - {y_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}}{T_{e}}},{{\omega (i)} = \frac{{\psi (i)} - {\psi \left( {i - 1} \right)}}{T_{e}}}} \right),{{\psi (i)} = {\frac{180}{\pi}*{\tan^{- 1}\left( \frac{{x_{GPS}(i)} - {x_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}}{{y_{GPS}(i)} - {y_{GPS}\left( {i - 1} \right)}} \right)}}},$ with x_(GPS),y_(GPS): the coordinates of the vehicle in the Lambert coordinate system, corresponding to the measured position of the vehicle, i: the instant of calculation, T_(e): the sampling period, l_(f): the distance between the center of gravity and the front wheels of the vehicle, and l_(r): the distance between the center of gravity and the rear wheels of the vehicle.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 5, in which the dynamic model determines the slip rate SR of the vehicle by means of a mapping function for mapping the coefficient of adhesion μ of the vehicle and weather conditions.
 9. The method as claimed in claim 8, in which the coefficient of adhesion μ of the vehicle is determined by a formula of the type: ${\mu (i)} = \frac{F_{driving}(i)}{F_{z}(i)}$ with x_(GPS),y_(GPS): the coordinates of the vehicle in the Lambert coordinate system, corresponding to the measured position of the vehicle, alt_(GPS): the measured altitude of the vehicle, i: the instant of calculation, a_(veh): the acceleration of the vehicle, M_(vehicle): the mass of the vehicle, ρ_(air): the density of the air, S: the front surface area of the vehicle, C_(x); the front aerodynamic drag coefficient of the vehicle, k: the coefficient of viscous friction, C_(RR): the rolling resistance coefficient of the vehicle, and g: the acceleration of gravity.
 10. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the dangerous driving indicator is determined by determining the number of times and/or frequency of exceeding at least one threshold by the slip parameter.
 11. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one dangerous driving indicator is displayed and/or recorded while the vehicle is being driven.
 12. The method as claimed in claim 11, in which the at least one dangerous driving indicator is displayed and/or recorded on the dashboard of the vehicle, on an Internet site, or on a standalone portable device such as a geolocation system or a mobile phone.
 13. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the dynamic model of the vehicle takes into account at least one of the following conditions: the state of the highway, the weather conditions, the pressure and state of wear of the vehicle's tires, notably by means of mapping.
 14. A method for controlling a vehicle, wherein the following steps are performed: e) at least one dangerous driving indicator is determined according to one of the preceding claims; and f) the control of the vehicle is adapted according to the dangerous driving indicator.
 15. A computer program product downloadable from a communication network and/or recorded on a computer-readable medium and/or executable by a processor or a server, including program code instructions for implementing the method according to claim 1, when the program is executed on a computer or on a mobile phone. 